Asian Physics Olympiad opens in Hanoi

NDO – The 19th Asian Physics Olympiad (APhO 2018) officially commenced at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology on May 6, in the presence of Vietnamese Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha and APhO President Kwek Leong Chuan.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Nha said that Vietnam has successfully organised many regional and international Olympiads in recent years, such as the APhO 2004, the International Mathematics Olympiad in 2007, the International Physics Olympiad in 2008, the International Chemistry Olympiad in 2014, and most recently the International Biology Olympiad in 2016.

After 14 years, Vietnam continues to take the honour of hosting the APhO, which is vivid evidence of the international community’s trust in and recognition of Vietnam’s educational development, he stated.

The minister emphasised that Vietnam always identifies basic sciences as a whole, and physics in particular, as playing a significant role in accelerating technological and technical development, especially as the fourth Industrial Revolution is taking place forcefully around the world.

The Vietnamese Government has already invested in, and will invest further, in the development of physics in the future, he said, noting that in Vietnam’s upcoming high school training programme, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education will play an important position and this will offer a good opportunity to continue facilitating physics teaching and research beginning at the high school level.

Vietnam is represented by eight contestants at the 19th APhO.

Nha congratulated the contestants of the APhO 2018, who are members of a young scientist community that is full of talent and enthusiasm, expressing his hopes that all the participants would have memorable experiences during the 19th APhO in Vietnam.

APhO President Kwek Leong Chuan hailed the contestants as the ambassadors of their own countries, recommending that they strengthen exchanges and make friends with each other in order to accumulate knowledge on physics and international cultures and aspirations.

The APhO 2018 is taking place from May 6 to 13, featuring the participation of 188 candidates, 50 delegation heads, and 29 observers from 25 countries and territories. Vietnam is represented by eight contestants.

At the 18th APhO, Vietnam was among the seven nations to secure gold medals, with seven of its eight candidates being crowned medallists, including one gold, three silvers and three certificates of merit (equivalent to a consolation prize).